Two Forms of Equivalent Exchange
by Phoenixofdarkness62
Summary: Ed and Al find themselves in an unusual shop, with an unsusal owner. However both parties are quite well informed on equivalent exchange. But will the price offered be equal to the purchase? That is something Ed and Al must decide.


Ed and Al looked at each other, then at their surroundings. This was not Amsteris. The buildings were tall, and looked smooth and shiny like Al's suit. The ground was grey like sky, but solid like a paved road. Sleek creatures zoomed down the streets, like refined cars. People bustled about chattering away in a language Ed didn't know.

"Big Brother?" Al asked in a low, scared, whimper. Ed looked forward, the only thing that came close to what looked like Amsteris was the wooden house before then. It was old, and the aura it was giving off was strange, but then again something was telling Ed to go to it.

Ed took a step forward crossing through the entrance onto the pathway that led to the house, and something clicked in his head. "We have guests." "We have guests." Two girls said staring at them from around a corner. The two girls looked to each other and smiled broadly.

"We have guests! We have guests!" They chimed in unison. "We must tell the mistress!" They're hands flew up into the air excitedly. Ed raced to see where they had gone, only from them to disappear into thin air.

Ed looked back to see Al peering in at him from behind the wall. Ed sighed. "Come on Al, we should try seeing if anyone's home who can help us." Ed said beckoning his little brother in. Al glanced around. "Are you sure big brother?" he asked. Ed nodded. "Come on," he said almost at the door, "what are you waiting for?"

Al ran in behind him as Ed went to knock on the door. It opened wildly to see a teenager in a black uniform fighting off the two girls from before and a black… rabbit? "I answered the door! Happy?" He cried as he tried to shake them off.

"We have guests!" the girls chimed as he swung them around, "We must tell the mistress!" They cried. The boy's face contorted. "I KNOW WE HAVE GUESTS THEY'RE HERE AT THE DOOR! YUKO STILL DOSESN'T KNOW BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T TOLD HER ABOUT THEM YET!" he shouted aggressively. The two girls stopped chanting and froze.

"We must tell the mistress." They said before disappearing again. The teen sighed.

"Oh ho ho, Watanuki is scary when it comes to guests." The black rabbit thing said cheekily. The teen froze again his face contorted. "Why you little-" he started. The black rabbit kissed him.

"Now, now Wata-kun is that anyway to treat your guests by being distracted by a beautiful Mokena?" Mokena stated. "You little-"

"What is that thing?" Al asked curiously as he stepped into the room, and staring at the black rabbit thing with the blue earring. Ed nodded.

"How Rude! A Mokena is a Mokena." Mokena stated. The two alchemists kept staring at it. Ed held his chin in his hand. "Maybe it's a rabbit chimera with a human voice box." Ed said aloud to Al. Al nodded in agreement.

"Seems reasonable, but isn't it impossibly only to fuse one element of a human into a chimera?" Al asked back. The teenager Watanuki just looked at the two blankly. What where they talking about?

"Umm, you need to come this way." Watanuki said finally. Ed and Al stared realizing that they could understand what he was saying, and what the rabbit, Mokena thing was saying.

"But-, Before-" Ed gestured outside of the gate. "We-" He gestured at him and his brother, "you-" He pointed at them. "It-"

"It'll make more sense if you talk with me about it." A feminine voice said. A woman in a black kimono came forward, barefoot. Watanuki tutted and got her slippers.

"If you two will follow me now." She stated, turning away from the Elric brothers. The duo looked at each other, shrugged and followed her. She led them to a secluded room, where a smoking pipe was smoldering still.

"Now," The woman started, taking a puff from the pipe. "Since you're here, you must have a wish." She stated.

"How did you know?" The brothers asked in unison. She gave a single calm nod. "Only those with a wish come here. Instead of you choosing to come, the shop tends to choose you." She stated. She released another puff of smoke.

"What is your wish?" She asked.

"I want to get my arm and leg back." Ed said, sitting straight up. "And I want my body back." Al stated. She gave a nod.

"That can be arranged." She said easily. The two perked up instantly. Ed got up to start when she spoke again. "For a price of course." She smirked slightly. The two looked between each other, and Ed drew out his coin purse. He gulped and pushed it across the table.

"This is all we have between us." He said tensely. Yuko took the coin purse and looked into it. She drew the strings closed, and tossed it back to Ed. Ed stared at the purse in his hand, then at the enigmatic shop keeper.

"But-"

"I don't expect payment in actually money." She stated easily. The duo stared at her, awed. "My payment varies, ask any of my clients; however the payment is extremely valuable…." She turned to them. "It's usually something very precious to you." She started. The duo gulped. She smiled. "Or perhaps not." She added easily.

"We'll pay anything." Ed stated for the two of them. Al nodded confirming this. She smirked.

"You metal arm and leg." She pointed at Ed. A smile graced her face. "And your alchemy." Her finger shifted to Al. "Your suit, and your alchemy as well."

Then she addressed them both. "And all the memories of your mother." She finished.

The boys were stunned. "You can't do that!" Ed protested. Yuko shrugged. "I've taken the markings of a magician, the most precious weapon of a swordsmen of superior skill, and the memories of a princess. I think I'm quite capable of taking your metal, alchemy, and memories." She stated, superiorly.

"That's not fair!" Al stated. "It's not an equivalent exchange!" He shouted. Yuko raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" Yuko commented haughtily. "That's all this shop does is equal exchanges. The price must suit the purchase. I think it's fair asking for your old body and body parts, for your real bodies and body parts." She stated.

"Then what about our alchemy and memories? They tip the balance to be overpaying you if your still talking about equal exchanges." Ed stated seriously. Yuko shrugged and took another puff from her pipe.

"Fine then, I'll let you keep your alchemy. But I still want the metal that makes you 'full metal', and the memories of your mother." Yuko stated.

"How is taking away our mother's memory fair? That's all we have to go on!" Al shouted. Yuko shrugged.

"But once you have your bodies back, won't that complete your purpose?" Yuko asked. Ed and Al were silenced. They hadn't thought about that. What would they do once they had their bodies?

"We need her memory in order to bring her back." Ed stated tonelessly, the back accented strongly. Yuko stared at them disinterested it seemed.

"From my understanding, resurrecting the dead is against the alchemist code." She said. Ed held in his anger.

"We still have to try." Ed said.

"Could you bring her back as well?" Al asked. Ed stared at him sharply turning his head. What was his little brother thinking? Asking this witch to bring her back, after the extortionate price she was asking just to get their bodies back? No thanks; he'd rather try his luck with the philosophers' stone.

Yuko shook her head. "I may hold a great deal of magic, and magical items, but even _I_ can't revive the dead." She stated. Al gave a nod. "So our metal bodies, and the memory of our mother, for our real bodies, correct?" He asked. She nodded. "That's right, and I will not change on that price. So the real question now is will you accept my offer or not." Yuko stated.

"Absolutely not." Ed said slamming his palm on the table. Al jumped slightly at this. He glared at Yuko right in the eye. "I refuse to pay that price." He said, he swiftly turned heel and left the room. A split second Al followed him.

"Big brother." Al said chasing after him. Ed turned his stare still cold.

"Al I can't believe your considering her offer." Ed stated. Al got serious.

"And why shouldn't we? Think about it Ed, her offer makes sense when you think about it practicality." Al started. Ed continued to stare at his little brother with distrusting eyes. "Our metal bodies for the real ones, that's good right? Then our memories… of our mother…" Al slowed as the words came off his tongue. "Without her memory, which is already fading, we won't go against the military." Al said. "We can finally be normal again."

Ed glared. "I can't believe you Al." He snapped, coldly in a low tone. Al grabbed Ed's shoulder. "At least consider it for a minute!" He shouted twisting his brother to face him.

"This might be our only chance to ever get our bodies back." He said gripping Ed's shoulders tightly. "You should at least give yourself a minute or two to think it over thoroughly for once instead of just doing as you will like you always do stubbornly."

Ed shook his shoulders free of Al's grip and walked away quietly, passing Watanuki in the hallway. Ed's metal arm connected with Watanuki's torso lightly. Watanuki winced, after the impact.

"Geez, that little guy is strong." He muttered holding his side. "Mokena is strong too! Mokena carries all the heavy sake from the store for little weak Watanuki-chan!" Mokena commented. "It's all about the sake with you!" Watanuki hollered. He didn't realize the boy from before he returned until he nearly bumped into him. He paled as he saw the menace in his eyes. "Did you just call me small?" Ed asked. Watanuki gave a nod.

"Why I-"

"If you cause him any physical harm, I will significantly raise the price of your brother's body." Yuko stated appearing before him suddenly, Al not far behind. Ed stopped.

"And I will tell you now, I'm being lenient with my price of now." Yuko stated. She paused letting it sink in, before turning away her kimono fluttering behind her like black butterflies against the night sky.

Ed watched her resentfully. And followed her shortly after brushing past Watanuki. Al followed, and the brothers sat down for a long while, their voices low. It wasn't until merely midnight that they approached Yuko again.

* * *

><p>"We've come to a decision." Ed stated. She nodded. "We cannot accept your terms and conditions, therefore we'll decline your offer." Al said.<p>

She gave a nod. "Then we have no more business to attend too." She stated looking towards the yard. "Your door is opening." She said, as suddenly the door both of them knew very well opened.

Without urging both of them proceeded to the door, and once in the door disappeared.

Shortly after, neither party could recall the past events.


End file.
